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The New International Version
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton One of the easiest reading Bibles being published today is the New International Version. Its clarity comes not only from its use of modern English but also from the willingness of the translators to translate idiomatic phrases of the Bible times into similar phrases of today. This could be dangerous to…
Read MoreObserving the Sabbath (Article)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton The first mention of the Sabbath day appears in Exodus 16. It is true that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world in six days. However, in the nearly 3,000-year record which was given in Genesis, there is no mention of mankind observing a Sabbath day. In fact,…
Read MoreTheir Mouths Must Be Stopped
by Brian A. Yeager The Apostle Paul told Timothy: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn…
Read MoreThat Piece of Clay
by Forrest D. Moyer A little child has often been likened to a piece of clay that can be molded into whatever type of pottery that the potter (parent) has in mind. A little child is so pliable, so willing to be molded and so trusting. This can either be a fantastic opportunity or a…
Read MoreThe Ten Cannots
by William J. H. Boetcker (1916) You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative…
Read MoreThe Temptation
by Bob Waldron via Truth Magazine XXIII (Part 1: 31, pp. 504-505, August 9, 1979; Part 2: 32, pp. 520-521, August 16, 1979; Part 3: 33, p. 533, August 23, 1979) After Jesus was baptized, He was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The account of the temptation of…
Read MoreTell Them of My Way
by Darrell Hymel I had a dream the other night, The judgment day was here. It came in the twinkling of an eye, I had no time for fear. I found myself in one great line, With men from every land. Men from every race and age Stood like grains of sand. Christ held the…
Read MoreTake Heed Unto Thyself and Unto the Doctrine
by Homer Hailey via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 11, Sept. 1952. “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine, continue in them: for in doing this though shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee” (I Timothy 4:16). These words are from the pen of Paul to the young preacher Timothy. While addressed…
Read MoreSuperficial Faith
by Dan Chambers Last Sunday, as most of you probably know, I was in Marietta, Georgia doing a seminar on “Worship” at the Piedmont Road congregation. That morning, before we left the hotel and headed to the building, I went to the hotel lobby to eat breakfast. I was stunned and heartbroken by what I…
Read MoreSpiritually Blind
by Thomas Thornhill Many years ago, a preacher who faithfully proclaimed the gospel was challenged by an unbeliever who stepped from the crowd and said, “I don’t believe in heaven or hell. I don’t believe in God or Christ. I haven’t seen them.” Then a man wearing dark glasses came forward and said, “You say…
Read MoreWas Jesus a Vegetarian? Did Jesus Eat Meat?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton On March 17, 1999, the Omaha World-Herald reprinted a hilarious article by Bill Broadway of the Washington Post. It seems the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have launched a campaign to claim that Jesus was a vegetarian. Billboards stating “Jesus was a vegetarian. Show respect for God’s creatures…
Read MoreAnimal Rights and the Bible
by Darryl G. Treat (With special thanks to Jeff Hamilton and Dana Treat) Is it morally wrong to hunt, kill and eat animals? Do you or someone you know believe that it is? Some animal rights activists have even made the claim that Jesus was a vegetarian, and in order to show respect for God’s…
Read MoreWhy We Don’t Follow the Old Testament (Article)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Our Bibles are composed of two major parts, an Old Testament and a New Testament. Why were these names selected? A testament is a will or a covenant. We still use the word today when we speak of a person’s “last will and testament.” These names indicate that the Bible is…
Read MoreA Look at Pornography
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Pornography: Material that deals with sex in a rude or offensive manner. Material designed to shock the viewer in how sex is depicted. Material that is sexually explicit and intended to arouse sexual passion. The depiction of sex has become increasingly common in our society. It is rare to find a…
Read More“The Passion of the Christ:” A Review
by Ethan R. Longhenry The Passion of the Christ, a movie recently released on the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus Christ as portrayed by director Mel Gibson, has been the discussion of many in the world and also in the Lord’s Body itself. Many claims have been made about it, ranging from…
Read MoreSlip-Sliding Away
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton When changes occur, it is common for those who bring in new ideas to reinterpret past events to prove that their ideas are really what people thought and wanted all along. Even when the changes are recent and people still remember what life was like before the changes, they just…
Read MoreShould I Beat My Child?
Donald P. Ames Guardian of Truth XXXI: 3, pp. 75, 87 February 5, 1987 Before you answer the above question, may I, first of all, ask if you really understood it? Webster defines “beat” all the way from “spank” to “flogging.” The Bible also uses it in a similar fashion. And, unfortunately, many people apply it…
Read MoreThe Scheme of Redemption in Type
by Bryan Vinson via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 7, May 1952. In recent articles, consideration has been given with respect to the purpose and province of prophecy in the plan of salvation. In this, we wish to proceed to the study of the character and design of type in this great and glorious system of…
Read MoreThe Scheme of Redemption in Preparation
by Bryan Vinson via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 10, August 1952. The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No.11, September 1952 From the moment of the conception of a remedial system in the mind of Jehovah, every phase of its evolvement and development of it was doubtless in the mind of the Almighty. With the statements of a…
Read MoreThe Scheme of Redemption in Perfection and Presentation
by Bryan Vinson via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 12, October 1952. In the survey thus far of the development of God’s purposed and planned redemption of man from sin, we have reached the point wherein the promised Messiah has come in fulfillment of Divine prophecy. While here on earth, prior to His death, He very…
Read MoreThe Problem with Emotions
by Stan Cox Do you feel good about yourself? Your relationship with God? Do you feel good about those with whom you have spiritual fellowship? Do you have joy without measure? A peace which passes understanding? Does a smile invariably crease your face when you contemplate your eternal welfare? It does? Good! Now for the…
Read MoreA Presbyterian Preacher and a Divine Principle
by James W. Adams via Gospel Guardian, August 31, 1950 The Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest sects of protestant Christendom and occupies a most honorable position among her sister denominations. In our day, she is noted for being one of the most austere, the coldest, and the most tenacious of all parties in clinging…
Read MorePreparing to Die Well
by Gary C. Kerr via Expository Files 1.6; June 1994 One of the advantages of taking a vacation is that you can do some things you don’t normally have time to do. Since I love to read, I did a lot of “recreational” reading on a recent vacation. I especially enjoyed getting to finish a book…
Read MorePreaching the Gospel … Without Mentioning Baptism
by Foy E. Wallace, Jr. Number One Gospel Sermons, page 180 (A series of gospel sermons preached at Nashville Road Church of Christ in the NUMBER ONE Community between Nashville and Gallatin, Tennessee, February 5 to 26, 1967. By Foy E. Wallace, Jr. In the sermon on February, 26: The Story That Never Grows Old,…
Read MorePreach and Teach
by T. Pierce Brown The following statements are made in a bulletin by one who claims to be a part of the body of Christ: “There is no biblical evidence that anyone ever preached the Gospel to those who had already received it. Preaching is always associated with evangelism in that it inducts one into…
Read MorePlan of Salvation
by Foy E. Wallace, Jr Number One Gospel Sermons, pages 46-47. When the time came to reveal that great Plan of Salvation, God assigned that function of revelation to the Holy Spirit. God is the primitive cause of man’s salvation, he willed it. Jesus Christ is the sacrificial cause of man’s salvation, he purchased it…
Read MorePermission and Promotion
by Marita Crozier I recently read Lessons from the Classroom: 20 Things Good Teachers Do by Hal Urban. Don’t be fooled by the title into thinking that this book is only for educators and thus not for you. On the contrary, this is one of the best books I have ever read about life in general. There…
Read MoreA People of Principle
by Tim Nichols Christians, above all others, are to be a people governed by principles. The world may not yield to an obvious code of conduct, but God’s children recognize that the distinct teachings of God’s Word give us higher and better rules than our own to guide us through life. Just as Luke wrote…
Read MoreOrigin and Meaning of Antichrist
by Garreth L. Clair The English word Antichrist is taken from the Greek ἀντίχριστος (antíkhristos), which literally means “instead of Christ”. The words “Antichrist” and “Antichrists” appear only five times in the Bible – in two of the Apostle John’s three letters in the New Testament, I John and II John: Who is the liar but he…
Read MoreOn Being Noble-Minded
by Roger M. Hendricks via The Graphic Evangelist, Vol. 21, No. 8, April 19, 1981. It is affirmed of the Jews in Berea that they “were more noble minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scripture daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).…
Read MoreThe Local Church Treasury
by Robert F. Turner via Guardian of Truth XXX: 15, August 21, 1986, pp. 486, 505 My first experience with one who questioned a “church treasury” was in 1943, in Phoenix, Arizona. While taking some exercise, I made a chance acquaintance with an elderly gentleman and we walked along together. When we passed a small church building…
Read MoreNow Concerning the Collection: I Corinthians 16:1-2
by Wayne S. Walker Through the years some have been heard to ridicule the idea of “five acts of worship.” When we understand that the Biblical concept of “worship” involves “an act of homage or reverence to God” (see W. E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Vol. IV, p. 235) then we can…
Read MoreNo Sense in Pretense
Author Unknown via Of America, Volume 1 (copyright 1999 Pensacola Christian College), page 224 You tell what you are by the friends you seek, By the manner in which you speak. By the way you employ your leisure time, By the use you make of dollar and dime. You tell what you are by the things…
Read MoreNew Carts
by Homer Hailey via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 6, April 1952. A constant threat to man’s spiritual life in every age has been the disposition to substitute human wisdom for the divine and to do God’s work in man’s way. When God tells man what to do, but does not tell him how to do…
Read MoreThose “Strange” Macedonians
by Bonds Stocks via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 12, October 1952. “Moreover, brethren we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed upon the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their…
Read MoreMore About Those “Strange” Macedonians
by Bonds Stocks via The Preceptor, Vol. 2, No. 1, Nov. 1952. “Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For…
Read MoreMisconceptions About the New Birth
by Dick Blackford Guardian of Truth Volume XXIX: 5, pp. 144-149, March 7, 1985 I receive the Sword Of The Lord, a Baptist publication that claims to be the largest religious weekly in America. In a recent article on the new birth, the above caption was highlighted in the middle of the article. It jumped out…
Read MoreThe Lord’s Church: Means or Result of Salvation?
by Robert F. Turner via Plain Talk About God’s Church, pages 77-80 When followers of Christ are likened to a physical body, Christ is the head, and the saints are the members of that body, the church (Ephesians 1:22-23). All who are in Christ are, by this figure, considered members of His body. We ignore priorities…
Read MoreCan a man be saved without baptism?
Brother Lipscomb: Do the Scriptures say that no one can be saved without baptism, or is it only an inference? If an inference, are not all creeds founded on inferences? I have been reading your paper [The Gospel Advocate] for some time, and I like it very well. Lipscomb’s Answer: Inferences are of different degrees…
Read MoreJohn Clark’s Question
by Steve Moreland Brother John Clark will always remain in my memory for many reasons, the Gospel meetings he held, the graduate-level classes he taught at Florida College, etc. Perhaps the most memorable event was when I was a young preacher in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1979. The congregation was made up of a small group…
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